Skaska Canyon

Kyrgyzstan

A place out of a fairy tale or rather the surface of Mars? - the Skaska Gorge seems to be out of this world.

Due to its supernatural appearance, this canyon is not without reason named Skaska Canyon, Russian for "fairy tale canyon". Here, erosive forces over the past centuries have formed a colorful canyon, which stretches with several branches over a length of 5 kilometers.

On the edge of Lake Issyk-Kul lies the entrance to another world. The Skaska Canyon has been shaped by weather, ice and wind into a place that could just as well be the surface of Mars. Countless mystical rock formations stimulate the imagination and so dragons, snakes, penguins and even a kind of Chinese wall have already been recognized in the red hills. As a contrast to the warm colors of the rock, small shrubs grow in some places and one could almost think that one is no longer in green Kyrgyzstan, but in a desert.

The legend behind the creation of the gorge takes place in a time when Lake Issyk-Kul did not exist and the area was populated by rich and powerful cities. In one of these cities lived a beautiful girl until one day a dragon fell in love with the beauty and immediately asked for her hand. However, the girl rejected the dragon and he threatened to put a curse on the valley until she changed her mind. Every full moon the dragon made sure that the water in the wells would rise and flood the valley. However, the local residents knew how to help themselves and covered the wells with golden lids every full moon to stop the water. They took turns checking the lids until the day the beautiful girl herself forgot to close them. The valley was flooded and Lake Issyk-Kul was formed. When the dragon woke up and saw the lake, he was so shocked that he immediately turned to stone.

Skaska Canyon is easy to reach and already signposted on the main road along the river bank. The entrance fee is about 50SOM per person. Good shoes are recommended in order not to risk any injuries on the discovery tour through the canyon. Fortunately, it rarely snows here and rain also does not occur too often, so the canyon is worth a visit all year round.

Fancy finding out what exciting shapes are hiding in the rocks? On our Kyrgyzstan trip we make a stop at the fairy tale gorge!

Fun Fact

Whether or not a dragon is responsible for Lake Issyk-Kul, there is still some truth in the legend. Underwater archaeological investigations have revealed traces of past civilizations at the bottom of the lake. Which one do you think the beautiful girl lived in?

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